Gauze Placement Apparatus for Tracheostomy Sterility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Placing and replacing gauze around tracheostomy openings on patients is challenging due to the sensitive nature of the area and the need for maintaining sterility, requiring a gentle and efficient method that minimizes direct skin contact.
Innovation Solution
A gauze placement apparatus with pivotally connected handles and fork extensions that securely grip and position gauze around medical equipment, allowing for easy placement and removal without direct skin contact, featuring adjustable prongs and ergonomic design for versatility and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gauze is placed manually around tracheostomy equipment, then placement can be performed with simple equipment, but direct skin contact increases contamination risk and operational difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gauze placement apparatus as an intermediary tool between the operator and the patient's skin. The apparatus includes a holder with gripping surfaces that hold the gauze, and extension members with engagement surfaces that interface with the tracheostomy equipment. This intermediary device allows gauze placement without direct manual contact with the patient's sensitive neck area, reducing contamination risk while facilitating precise positioning around the tracheostomy tube.
2Productivity
If direct manual placement is used, then equipment complexity is minimized, but placement speed and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gauze placement apparatus is segmented into distinct functional components: a holder portion for securing the gauze, extension members for reaching around the tracheostomy equipment, gripping surfaces for secure gauze attachment, and engagement surfaces for interfacing with the equipment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, enabling faster and more efficient gauze placement while keeping the overall device manageable in complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the area around tracheostomy equipment is sensitive, then gentle placement is required, but manual manipulation increases skin contact and potential harm
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus serves as a mediator that eliminates direct skin contact between the operator's hands and the patient's sensitive neck area. The holder and extension members allow the operator to manipulate the gauze from a distance, placing it gently around the tracheostomy tube without touching the surrounding skin. This reduces the risk of irritation, infection, or other harm to the sensitive area while maintaining precise control over the placement process.
Data Source
AI summary
Gauze placement apparatuses and related methods are disclosed herein. The gauze placement apparatus can include a lower fork extension that can have a fork portion and first and second lower prongs aligned with each other in a second direction that is transverse to a first direction in which an upper handle is oriented and an upper fork extension that can have a fork portion and first and second upper prongs aligned with each other in the second direction that is transverse to the first direction in which a lower handle is oriented. The upper handle and the lower fork extension being pivotally connected to the lower handle and the upper fork extension such that the upper handle resides above the lower handle and the upper fork extension resides above the lower fork extension. When the upper handle and lower handle are moved in a diverging direction, the upper and lower fork extensions move apart from each other to an open position. When the upper handle and lower handle are moved in a converging direction, the upper and lower fork extensions move toward each other to a closed position. The first and second lower prongs of the lower fork extension can be configured to receive a first folded gauze such that a slit within the gauze resides between the first and second lower prongs. The upper and lower fork extensions can be configured to hold the first folded gauze when in the closed position.